Video production requires a slew of equipment, such as production consoles, graphics consoles, AD consoles, HD switchers, monitors, video routers, audio routers, encoders/decoders, receiver decoders, signal amplifiers, and satellite transmitters. A significant portion of video production is done remotely, requiring a substantial amount of production equipment integrated together to produce a show, such as a broadcast of a sporting event, broadcast of an award show, or broadcast of political debate, among many others. Current methods of deploying production equipment include packaging this equipment in a mobile production unit, such as mobile production truck or trailer, that is designed specifically for a particular type of show or event. Some mobile production units are designed for multiple event types. In either case, mobile production units are typically outfitted with custom equipment furniture and racks that are both typically of the enclosure type made of welded members and panels.
Another method of deploying production equipment is to package the equipment in flight packs. A flight pack is a custom case designed to ship the equipment to a location for assembly on site. With flight packs, the equipment is designed to be broken down into sizes that accommodate normal air freight shipping methods. When flight packs arrive on location, the equipment must be assembled into a production-friendly format to be used. One method of reducing the time of setup on location is to weld-up frames that support the equipment as it will be used in the field. The configuration of the equipment in use for production and the configuration of the equipment in shipment are very different. Equipment that is shipped the same way it will be used can be 50% greater in size and 50% greater in weight, making shipping cost prohibitively expensive. The phrase often used is: “Production will accept the worst mobile production unit before it accepts the best flight pack”.